Eye of the Snake
by Spider-Bat
Summary: Harry and Hermione have just defeated Voldemort with the Portal spell. But he's back, and the whole school is worried. Harry needs to stand by his friends for help.
1. Advance Guard

****

Eye of the Snake

Chapter 1: Advance Guard

YOU-KNOW-WHO ESCAPES PORTAL

Evil lord was last seen in Bristol

A report by Sally Watson

He-who-must-not-be-named was sent into a parallel universe via portal last week thanks to Hermione Granger, 16, a student at Hogwarts.

But just yesterday, a Muggle newscast saw you-know-who hitchhiking a red Chevy on a highway near Bristol. This means that the evil lord is back. Watch out Harry Potter!

Harry and friends looked at the news article with horrified faces. Voldemort was back? How could that be? Everyone knew that Hermione had sent him through a portal just last week, and that he probably went to a parallel universe.

Just as everyone was done reading the article, the rest of the mail came. Many of the students received gifts for Christmas.

Neville got a "Self-Repairing Smoke Bomb"; it was a simple device that would hit an object and have a smoky eruption, then repair itself. Neville's had the special boomerang spell, so the bomb would come right back to you. This, of course, came from Neville's grandmother, who would send him weapons for safety ever since she joined the Order.

Malfoy got the usual sweets and cadies from old mommy and daddy.

Ron got an interesting ring from girlfriend Lavender, who was on Christmas break. It was silver, only colored orange. It had a dragon carved on the top, and was very nice looking.

Poor Harry didn't have the sort of present the rest got. Of course, the usual Weasley sweater and fudge came (the sweater was dark green and had a lightning bolt on it), and Hagrid sent him a deck of cards that would confuse the opposite person when you played any game, and the Dursleys sent him a Dell PC with a year of AOL (too bad they didn't know electronics don't work at Hogwarts).

The Dursleys had been spending a lot of money ever since Dudley lost 295 pounds. Harry had gotten sick of the diet food he was forced to eat, so he threatened Dudley to become bulimic or he'd give him a pig tail that couldn't come off. So he got sort of anorexic, but the Dursleys didn't care. With all the leftover money that was usually spent on food, they became rich and were even nice to Harry.

But back to the subject. Harry received a letter that had a banner across the top that said: C.R.A.P.: Citizens Raging Against Phones. He knew this was the Order of the Phoenix's secret name, and Harry told the Weasleys, Neville, and Hermione to follow him.

Once inside the Gryffindor common room, Harry opened the letter and out popped Reamus Lupin.

"I was wondering when you were going to open it," he said, breathing very hard.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Ron asked.

"Well, Ron," said Lupin. "I just used a Transletter. It is a low-grade Portkey, and is used to ship yourself to someone else.

"Now, Harry, I'm sure you're aware that Voldemort is back."

"Yes," Harry said.

"I have been assigned to protect you, as your advance guard,"

"Why can't I protect myself?" Harry fumed, hormones sparking.

"Harry, you must understand that you need protection!"

"I'm sixteen years old! I'm not a baby!"

"I'm going to protect you no matter what," Lupin said, leaving the room.

"I have to go set up my office. I've been reinstated to be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!"

"I'm still hungry," said Ron, and he led Ginny and Neville out of the dorm.

"I'll catch up!" called Hermione, but they didn't seem to care. "Harry, I want to talk. What I said last week… I can't stop that from being true."

Harry never wanted her to bring this up, but still spoke confidently. "Hermione, I can't go out with you, not when Voldemort's out there."

"But, Harry," Hermione said, tears coming out of her eyes. "I love you!"

"And I love you!" Harry returned. "But if anyone knew that, both of us would be in great danger. I can't let you go through that!"

Hermione was silent for a while, and then said, "So you do love me?"

"What do you think?" said Harry. For a moment, it looked like the two were about to kiss, but Harry turned away and went downstairs without a word.

The next day, another C.R.A.P. letter arrived for Harry. "Who sent themselves to me this time?" Harry sarcastically asked.

This time the envelope contained a note from Dumbledore. It said:

Dear Harry,

I have been pacing my office for a long time now. As you know, the Death Eaters aren't to far away from taking over Hogwarts.

I wish that you reassemble the DA, and have lessons start as early as next week. This is helping a great deal.

Sincerely,

Dumbledore

"What does it say?" asked Ron.

Harry handed the note over to Ron, who broke into laughter.

__

" Dear Mr. Wobblebottoms,

There are offices in my pockets, and they make me dance around. As you know, old men shouldn't dance.

I wish I was a llama. Llamas don't have to put up with these things. Thank you for understanding.

Sincerely,

Bob Vila"

"Shut up, Ron," Harry said. "that's not what it says…"

Harry grabbed the letter back, and as soon as he did, the letters on the note changed into the real message.

"Excellent!" said Ron. "It's probably so no one can know what's happening!"

"Duh," Hermione said.

"But guys," said Neville. "the letter was already ripped open!"

"Correct, Longbottom." said a voice inside the envelope. Out stepped Voldemort, snake eyes and all.

"Hello, Harry," he said. "it's so nice to be at Hogwarts again. _Avada Kadavra!"_

1/10/05


	2. The Death of Reamus Lupin

****

Eye of the Snake

Chapter 2: The Death of Reamus Lupin

The spell was heading right towards Harry, and couldn't do anything about it. It was the killing curse- he couldn't block it! He had before, though, but how?

"_Protego!" _Harry yelled, and indeed, the spell was blocked. How did he do it?

It was impossible to block the killing curse, yet this was the third time he did it. Of course, there was the time Voldemort attacked him as a baby, but also when Voldemort cast the spell on him two weeks ago, and he survived.

"DIE, POTTER!" Voldemort yelled. He began casting spell after spell at Harry, but Harry ran, and Voldemort hit miscellaneous kids in the hall instead.

Colin Creevy popped up in front of him. "Harry, can I have your autograph for my mum?" he asked.

"Get out of the way you little…"

"_Avada Kadavra!" _Voldemort yelled. The spell was heading right at Harry again.

"_Pleeeeeeeeease?" _Colin asked, on his knees.

"Harry!" yelled Lupin from across the hall. ""

The spell had hit him. Lupin was dead.

"No!" Harry cried. He ran to the dead body. This man was like a father to Harry, the only one left. Why had he treated Lupin so badly yesterday? If Harry had the chance- right now- he'd cast the portal spell and go back in time to save Lupin, but Harry's head wasn't thinking good that day.

Voldemort laughed his evil laugh as all of Harry's crew comforted him. "I knew that you were weak, Potter! Now that you have proved it, I can finally defeat you!"

"How could you?" Hermione cried. "You're a monster! All you know is death! But we all know you're just a little preschooler inside, showing off to everyone else. You know what? No one likes you! No one thinks anything of you- except fear!"

"You're clever," said Voldemort, observing her like Snape. "that will pay off someday- in the AFTERLIFE!"

Voldemort grabbed Hermione by the neck and levitated up to the ceiling. He hung her cloak on a chandelier chain. "Try being witty here!"

He set the cord holding the chandelier on fire, so it would fall when it reached a point, along with Hermione.

"HERMIONE!" Harry yelled. He started to the chandelier, but was held back by Crabbe.

"Potty man no get girl!" he said. Goyle joined in.

"Potty man no get girl!"

The whole Slytherin house started chanting, "Potty man no get girl!" and holding Harry back. Draco came up to him.

"Not even _you_ can stop the Dark Lord now, Potter!" he said.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled. Realizing there was only one way out of this, he punched Crabbe in the nose. Bedlam ensued. Everyone got into a brawl with the Slytherins. Ron socked Warrington. Neville cursed Goyle. Colin stabbed someone with his quill. Cho Chang bit Malfoy. Even a Hufflepuff named Brick Tamland set off a hand grenade.

Harry jumped onto Voldemort and took him to the ground, putting his wand right up to the Dark Lord's chest. This reminded him of three years ago, when he had the wand to Sirius's chest. Harry hesitated.

"Face it, Potter," Voldemort spat. "you're too weak!" Voldemort threw Harry up to the ceiling.

"Come, my children!" Voldemort cried out. Most of the Slytherins and some Ravenclaws came forward. One was Michael Corner, Cho's boyfriend. "Michael! No!" she cried. She continued sobbing until all of Voldemort's supporters disappeared with Voldemort.

Meanwhile, back on the ceiling, Harry was holding on for dear life. He reached out a hand for Hermione, but she couldn't reach it. The rope broke, and Harry grabbed onto it. It was very heavy.

Hermione was still dangling about ten feet off the ground, but some second year girls named Jenna and Katelyn pulled her down. Harry dropped the chandelier and sighed in relief.

Harry dropped down and the Gryffindor boys caught him. Harry immediately went to Lupin's dead body. "Reamus," Harry sobbed. This was the last of James's true friends.

Suddenly, Lupin snarled. He turned into a werewolf and ran off. The strange thing was, the dog left behind the human body. "He only killed the human," Harry muttered.

"Harry, what do we do?" asked Ron.

Harry stood and confronted everyone.

"People, I don't know if anyone realized, but that was Voldemort, and he is evil. Some of you were too stupid to know it last year, and look where it got you! ARE YOU HAPPY?!?!"

"Harry…" Hermione warned.

Harry took a breath and continued, "Some of might not know what this means, but the rest do. Will the people that were members of the DA come with me?"

Dumbledore looked with interest.

1/13/05


	3. Reformation

****

Eye of the Snake

Chapter 3: Reformation

Harry walked out of the Great Hall with hopes of people following him. Snape stopped him.

"Potter, do you have any idea how serious this is? You can't take the extremity of the Dark Lord into your own hands!"

"I believe I did last year," Harry retorted, and then walked right past the professor. "And the year before that, and the year before that, and the year before that, and the year before that, and the year before that,"

Harry's voice droned on until it couldn't be heard by the professor.

Seamus lit up a cigarette. "I don't see how he got in here," he asked. "especially with all the mail screening we have now."

"Then how would Lupin get through?" Hermione asked. "I mean maybe the Ministry isn't exactly on our side!"

"How could you say that?" Zacharias Smith yelled.

"I think it was very clear why she said what she said!" Cho exclaimed. "Because the Ministry SUCKS!"

Hannah Abbot screamed and said, "How dare you!"

"Shove off, you Hufflepuff peace of crap!" Michael Corner cried, hugging Cho.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE YELLING ABOUT!" Brick Tamland yelled.

"Who invited him?" Harry asked.

"The only people who know what's good for this school," Susan Bones replied. "THE HUFFLEPUFFS!"

"THE RAVENCLAWS ARE A LOT SMARTER THAN ANYONE!" Anthony Goldstein screamed.

"AND WHAT ABOUT THE GRYFFINDORS?" Ron hollered.

"THE GRYFFINDORS COULDN'T THINK THEIR WAY OUT OF A PAPER BAG!" Justin Finch-Fletchley bellowed.

"LOUD NOISES!" howled Brick.

"There's only _one _way to settle this," Dean said. He pulled out some num-chucks. "FIGHT!"

All the houses pulled out their own weapons.

"Brick, where'd you get a hand grenade?" Zacharias asked.

Brick looked at his own hand and was surprised. "I don't know," he stated.

Harry pulled out a table leg and yelled, "GO!"

Many people lost something that day. Harry and Hermione would lose their dearest friend. Ginny would lose her boyfriend. But at this moment, every single Hufflepuff would lose a body part.

Justin's eye was gauged out. Hannah's leg was fried off. Susan's head got in the way of a battle axe. Ernie Macmillan died of a major explosion from a hand grenade, and Brick lost his hand.

Zacharias saw his chance as Ginny bent over to tie her shoe. He took his ninja sword and held it up, ready to kill her. Dean noticed, and chopped off the boy's arm.

"OW!" Zacharias yelled. "You chopped off my arm!" and he fainted.

"Thanks babe," Ginny sighed, kissing Dean.

Meanwhile, Harry was trying to get brains off his table leg when Ron peeped, "Harry?"

"What, Ron?"

"Um…" Ron stuttered, but he never got to finish his sentence, for Voldemort crashed through the window, causing a shard of glass to make a small cut in his throat, and he couldn't talk.

"Hello, Potter," Voldemort spat. "How are you? Looks like you had a little fight. Did somebody make fun of your mommy? I still think the whole 'she passed on her love' thing is a little gay."

"Shut up, Voldemort,"

"Oh, I love that song! Which one do you like more, the Simple Plan one, or the Black Eyed Peas one?"

"_Avada Kadavra!" _Harry chanted.

"Oh, isn't Mr. Potter a little greedy?" Voldemort said as he dodged the spell. "In that case, I'll just take the red-head and the hot chick. _Accio!"_

Ron and Hermione floated to Voldemort, and he grabbed them by the throats. He flew through the window and into the air singing "Shut Up" from the Black Eyed Peas.

Harry jumped out the window and grabbed Voldemort's foot.

1/31/05


	4. The Death of Ron Weasley

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Eye of the Snake

Chapter 4: The Death of Ron Weasley

"Get off!" the Dark Lord yelled at Harry as he kicked him to the rooftop. Harry landed on the roof with a thud. He thought to himself: _that was a really stupid move._ Yet still, he couldn't let anything happen to them, especially Hermione.

"You might as well go back to the Gryffindor tower and cry for Mommy!" Voldemort teased as he landed on the Astronomy Tower.

"You know those jokes are getting old, right?" Harry said.

"And so is…" Voldemort hesitated. "Your mom!"

"Voldie, she's dead. You killed her- remember? Oh, no, Oldie Voldie can't even remember who he killed! I guess it's back to preschool with you!"

"_Avada Kadavra!" _Voldemort yelled.

"_Protego!" _Harry yelled. He blocked the killing curse- again.

"I really hate you, Potter," Voldemort spat.

"Really? I couldn't tell!"

Voldemort held Hermione and Ron up into the air, each of them dangling over the side of the tower. "You know," he said. "every hero has to do this. Spider-Man, Batman… it's your turn! Choose, Potter! Which one will live?"

Voldemort dropped the kids into the air. Harry had to think fast. He cast the Grapple spell on the ledge of the tower, and swung down, grabbing Hermione.

Voldemort saw Harry's plan, and the Dark Lord knew that if Harry saved Ron, he would be happy. He didn't want Harry to be happy. Quickly, he cast the killing curse six times at poor Ron. Harry's best friend was dead.

"You monster!" Harry yelled, swinging back to the top of the tower. "I'm going to kill you!" His arms found their way to the evil lord's neck, and they gripped tightly.

"I'm sorry, Potter," Voldemort said, grinning. "Maybe another time!" Voldemort disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Harry suddenly heard Hermione scream. She was pointing at some cloth-like thing floating toward them.

"Harry, it's a-" the cloth gagged her, surrounding her whole body.

Harry didn't know what to do. He tried a variety of different spells, from Flipendo to Lumos, but nothing worked. He thought maybe he could distract the creature, so he cast the Patronus charm.

The creature exploded and revealed Hermione, gasping for air.

"What was that?" Harry asked.

"That was a Lethifold, a very deadly creature. Close cousin to the Dementor."

Harry looked down at Ron's body and cried. "He was my best friend. He would've gave his life for me, and I couldn't save him. I want revenge."

"Harry," Hermione said. "what has revenge got you over the years?"

"I don't care! I will avenge Ron Weasley's death. I swear it on his grave!"

He began crying, and Hermione hugged him for comfort. She knew that Harry found this comfortable at times. Harry stopped crying and Hermione told him the truth. If they wanted to kill Voldemort, they needed a plan.

"Let's go see Dumbledore," she said.

The two cast the Grapple spell on a nearby tower and slid down to the ground.

2/6/05


	5. The Plan

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Eye of the Snake

Chapter 5: The Plan

"So… he's dead," Dumbledore said unsurely. Harry and Hermione had gone strait to his office with Ron's body. They told him that they needed a plan to get Voldemort.

"STOP BEATING AROUND THE BUSH!" Harry said, annoyed. "We need a plan to get Voldemort- why can't you admit you don't have one?"

"Harry!" Hermione cried.

"He's right, Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said. He sighed and walked to Harry. "You know that if we do form a plan, it will be very dangerous."

"Yes, sir," Harry said.

Dumbledore sighed again. "Many of us from the Order believe that Voldemort had some kind of hideout, where he meets most of his Death Eaters. You would need to get there."

"Okay," Harry said.

"And we all know how you're going to do that…"

"_Lesotho," _Harry mumbled.

"Professor," Hermione peeped. "I've been meaning to ask you about that spell. Don't you think it's a little… illegal?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it must have the same rules as Appiration and the Floo network- aren't we a little young to know it?"

Dumbledore sighed yet again. "I knew that the spell had legal limits around it. But I also knew, when I taught it to you, that Harry would be able to learn it."

"He can't continue! It's not like the Ministry's on his butt already!"

"Ms. Granger, I-…"

"And the whole school saw _me _use it! What if the whole school got wise like me and-…"

"Because no one's as wise as you," Harry said.

"Lesotho doesn't matter right now, what does is our plan," Dumbledore said, and the kids agreed.

"Harry, tonight you will take a potion from Professor Snape that will open your dreaming mind more. I'm sure Voldemort will notice and try to get in there, and it will backfire without him knowing. Let him guide you where he goes, and that will hopefully be his hideout.

"And then you wake up. Using the Portal Spell, you can go into the hideout, and hopefully destroy Voldemort- once and for all."

"Okay," said Harry. "Show me to the potion."

After taking his potion and getting in his pajamas, Harry lay down in his bed. After all that went on today, Harry was glad to finally rest.

"Remember what Dumbledore said," Hermione exclaimed. "'Don't stay asleep to long. Wake right up when you find out where the hideout is.'"

"Right," Harry said.

"Be careful, Harry," Hermione said, kissing him.

"I will," he said, and he fell asleep.

Entering the dream world, Harry saw three flashes of light, which meant that Voldemort had failed to get in his head. Harry could now see a dirt road and two feet that were not his own.

Over the clearing, a house that looked like it was about to eat you was what Voldemort walked in.

A Death Eater ran up to him. "I'm so sorry sir," he said. "But we've got Crabbe and Goyle on the phone, and they can't find their way here."

"Tell them 24 Taipan Place!" Voldemort yelled. Harry urged himself to wake up.

"Well?" Hermione asked. Harry sat upright in bed, ready for action.

"24 Taipan Place," Harry replied. He walked over to the wall and put his wand over his head.

"Shouldn't he tell Dumbledore?" Hermione asked.

"There's no time," Harry lied. There _was _time, but Harry couldn't contain himself to wait any longer.

"_Lesotho!"_

2/7/05


	6. Revenge

****

Eye of the Snake

Chapter 6: Revenge

Harry looked at the room he appeared in. It was very gloomy, but it was the same one as his dream. He looked around and ran right into Wormtail. He didn't stop to chat.

"What are you-…"

"_Avada Kadavra!"_

He was halfway there. He killed the man who sold his parents to Riddle, now it was Voldemort's turn.

__

Harry found a large room with many people in it, all of them Death Eaters. He had forgotten his Invisibility Cloak at Hogwarts, so all the Death Eaters saw him.

They immediately cast many spells at him, and one hit Harry that made him pass out.

"Harry? Oh, Harry? Wake up, Potter!"

Harry felt his hair being pulled very hardly. He was forced to look at Voldemort's ugly face. Harry noticed that he was tied to a wooden board.

"Hello, Harry, how are you?" the Dark Lord asked. "Did you think that you could get by us? You know, you _really_ are stupid."

Voldemort put his wand on Harry's chest. "Say goodbye, Harry!"

"Wait!" Harry said. "I have a question!"

"Okay,"

"With all of your 'great powerful' magic, why can't you get a better nose?"

Voldemort gaped at Harry for a while, the chance that Harry needed. He cut through his bounds using the Diffindo spell. He then punched Voldemort right in the nose, making him back up a little.

"Who gave him his wand?" Voldemort asked.

Another punch came Voldemort's way. Harry knew that if he tried a spell on Voldemort when he was so ready, Priori Inchantium would occur. It was a good thing that he had observed Dudley's fighting skill when he was younger.

"Come on, Potter, kill me!" Voldemort yelled, his nose gushing blood.

"I will!" Harry yelled, jumping on Voldemort and grabbing his neck. Voldemort snapped his fingers but it wouldn't work. Harry didn't understand: Voldemort was supposed to be a cloud of smoke by now. Instead, the two were in the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic.

Voldemort drew his wand. "It's time to die, Potter! _Flipendo Extendius!"_

A large blue light shot out of Voldemort's wand and went right for Harry. The light became a sheet, covering the whole chamber and knocking things down without a care. Harry was hit by it, and was sent right into the wall.

And Voldemort laughed. No matter how disgusting, cruel, or severe, Voldemort would laugh. He had a cruel, twisted laugh that would stay in Harry's head forever. He laughed when he killed Reamus and Ron. He laughed when he reformed the Death Eaters. Now, Harry wanted to take that laugh and make it his own.

"What are you going to do, Harry?" Voldemort asked. "How are you going to defeat _me, _the most powerful wizard in the world?"

"Like this," Harry said. He pointed his wand at a nearby shelf of prophecies. "_Carpe Retractum!"_

An orange light cord shot out of the wand and stuck to the shelf. Harry pulled on his wand and the cord pulled on the shelf. It toppled over, right on Voldemort.

Lots of prophecies fell, but only one shattered. It was the prophecy of Tom Riddle Jr. himself. Harry saw Sybil Trelawney appeared from the mist.

"THE MAN THAT WILL BE BORN UNDER A WITCH AND WIZARD SHALL BRING GREAT EVIL TO THE WORLD! THE OF THE MAN BLOOD TOUCHING HIS SKIN WILL STOP ALL HIS MAGIC! HE WILL PREVAIL, UNLESS OPPOSED BY THE BOY WHO LIVES!"

Trelawney disappeared and Harry looked at Voldemort. "So you can't do magic when your own blood touches your skin? Huh. _Diffindo Hidious!"_

Voldemort's skin tore and blood seeped out.

"_Coverous Goreous!" _Harry chanted. Voldemort's blood gushed through his wound and covered his body.

"_Avada Kadavra!" _Voldemort chanted. Nothing happened.

"You can't do it, Tom," Harry said. "But you see, I think it's good for you. You've cast that spell so many times in your life, I think it's enough."

"Harry, please," Voldemort said. "I can make you powerful. Together we can bring them back. We can bring anyone back! I'm the greatest wizard in the world! Please, Harry, don't do it!"

Harry sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, Tom, but you're not. It's not what you can do with a wand, but what you choose to do. Albus Dumbledore is the greatest wizard in the world, because of what he chooses to do with his wand. Goodbye, Tom. _Avada Kadavra!"_

Voldemort screamed, yet was still alive.

"_Avada Kadavra!"_

He was getting weaker, but still alive.

"_Avada Kadavra!"_

Finally, Voldemort was the weakest he could be. His wand dropped out of his hand, and Harry picked it up.

"I… won't ever… be defeated!" Voldemort said feebly.

"Yes you will," Harry said, and he shoved the wand in Voldemort's temple. The Dark Lord was dead.

2/11/05


End file.
